At the SDSN Northern Europe member meeting on 19 March, participants shared a series of initiatives that, taken together, reflect different stages of engagement in the sustainability transformation. From high-level declarations and coordinated frameworks to digital infrastructure and solution-sharing platforms, the presentations illustrated how SDSN and our members are working across multiple levels — strategic, organisational and technical — to support the implementation of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Jutta Mäkinen from the University of Turku presented a joint Finnish declaration that brings together universities and research funders to operate at the front lines of the sustainability transformation. It is initiated by the Academy of Science and Letters with the overall objective to create a community that produces solutions to global sustainability challenges, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources. The declaration serves as a promising model for wider Nordic or international cooperation.
Read the declaration
Sweden’s higher education climate network
Lisa Redin from Umeå University shared how Sweden’s Climate Framework for Higher Education Institutions, now endorsed by 37 higher education institutions, has evolved into a national platform for joint action. The associated Climate Network supports capacity-building and peer learning across key areas such as travel, buildings, education and procurement, offering a coordinated foundation for climate-aligned operations across the sector.
About the network
Framework guidelines
Data infrastructure for Earth system action
Sebastian Bjerregaard Simonsen from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) introduced DTU’s role in Destination Earth (DestinE), the EU’s initiative to build a highly detailed, AI-powered digital twin of the entire planet. The goal of DestinE is to be able to simulate, monitor, and predict climate change and its impacts, as well as needs in disaster risk management and environmental monitoring. The aim is to support science-based, on-demand policymaking across Europe.
As part of this initiative, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is responsible for developing digital models of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets—two critical components of Earth’s climate system.
Learn more about Destination Earth
DTU’s digital twin project
Joanna Hall from SustainChain and the Global Coalition of Sustainability presented SustainChain, a nonprofit digital platform that connects sustainability actors across sectors and regions. Functioning like a LinkedIn for system change, SustainChain helps institutions share solutions, find collaborators, and track progress toward the SDGs.
The platform is reached by invitation only. Contact Martin Eriksson if you want to join.
SDSN Northern Europe secretariat updates
Martin Eriksson shared two key updates: the launch of the 2025 Europe Sustainable Development Report, and new opportunities for SDSN members to engage with SDGs Today — a global platform for timely, GIS-based data visualization and storytelling.
Explore the Europe Sustainable Development Report
Explore SDGs Today
The meeting concluded with an invitation to the next SDSN Northern Europe member meeting, scheduled for May 28.
